Reluctant Love
by Crazy4Animation
Summary: Tsuruga Ren, a 30 years old broken man with overly burdened guilt of past, A failure as a father of six years old daughter who is distant to him, remarries Mogami Kyoko who's been in love with Fuwa Sho since childhood but sacrifices her love to save his career. How things will work out? Will Kyoko be able to mend Ren's broken soul while finding a place in his heart for herself?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

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 **Few things about this AU story:**

1\. Ren/Kuon isn't violent. He's just afraid and reluctant to love because of his past.

2\. Sho isn't a bad character. He is loving, caring and supportive. Sorry but I'm sick of Sho being a bad ass.

3\. Kyoko is 26 and Ren is 30. Ren's former spouse Murasame Ayumi is deceased and will only appear in flash back. She will be the only OC in this story. No past girlfriends of Ren/Kuon will be introduced.

4\. Nanokura Mimori is a supporting character. It means she won't be a bad character either.

5\. The only Villain in the story is Kyoko's mother Mogami Saena.

6\. Story of Ren's past can be different. He may or may not be Kyoko's Corn, I mean her childhood friend.

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 **A/N** : Dear readers, here's the story "Reluctant Love" which I had removed for re-writing purpose 3 months ago. I hope you like the rewrite. Please tell me what you think. It's sad to say that "Whisper of Heart: An Undying Love" will not be continued as some of the readers told me that this story is waste of time. It discouraged me and I completely forgot how to proceed the story in panic. I hope you don't mind. I have just lost the will to write that story. So sorry. I write for readers but if they don't like it then I won't continue it. Sorry again.

Enough of my ranting, I hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Reluctant Love**

 **Prologue**

* * *

 _"I love you Kyoko, you know that I'm crazy about you since childhood. I can't even think of losing you. You mean the world to me. Please promise me you'll never leave me. I don't know what I would do if you left…"_

 _"I love you too Sho-chan, I promise, I'll never leave you"_

 _"You mean it Kyoko?"_

 _"Yes I do"_

"From now on, you two are officially married. Congratulations to you both" A distant voice of an aged man rang in Kyoko's ears and pulled her out of her deep thoughts.

Her husband gave him a smile and thanked him in return.

Kyoko looked around her and found herself sitting in a place called marriage registration office. Her face saddened because the man sitting beside her wasn't her childhood friend and lover Fuwa Shoutaro. He was someone else picked up by none other than her own mother for her. It was totally a loveless and arranged marriage. She had to sacrifice her love just for his bright career. She didn't want any harm for her beloved that's why she had no choice but to consent with her mother's demands.

She looked to her side and gazed at the dark haired brown eyed tall man, Tsuruga Ren who was the wealthiest man in Japan, the sole owner of massive Business Empire with its branches scattered worldwide, especially in Japan, America and Russia. A well known and well reputed man was now her husband.

She sighed sadly mourning at her fate. " _Life can never be like you want it to be."_

 _I'm sorry Sho-chan for leaving you behind. I just didn't have any choice. I'm not a betrayer. If I'd refused then my mother would have ruined your singing career. I love you sincerely that's why I didn't want you to suffer. I'm sorry for breaking my promise. Please don't hate me for breaking up with you. I'll always love you. I hope you'll understand that it's hard for me to be without you but true love demands sacrifice._

"Are you OK Kyoko-san?" She heard Ren asking her with concern.

"Ah! Yeah, sorry I was just zoning out a little" she composed herself at once and smiled at him.

Ren smiled slightly. "No problem"

Silence fell over again as Ren busied himself in completing all the remaining formalities while Kotonami Kanae, Yashiro Yokihito and Takarada Lory signed as marriage witnesses and the couple registered their marriage. Mogami Kyoko officially became Tsuruga Kyoko, second wife of 30 years old Billionaire, Ren Tsuruga, a widower and father of 6 years old daughter , Tsuruga Aika.

All of them were about to leave when Ren's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Hello? Who is it?" He asked for confirmation when he noticed it was an unknown number.

"Are you Mr. Ren Tsuruga?" a male asked from the other side.

"Yes I am, who are you?"

"Mr. Tsuruga, I'm Doctor Hayate Yukino from City Hospital, your daughter is admitted in hospital. Please come soon"

Ren's face paled. His heart jumped into his stomach.

"What happened Ren?" Lory asked worriedly noticing his panic but Ren was no longer in position to answer.

 _Oh God! Please tell me she's alright. I shouldn't have left her alone when she was mad at me._

"Wh-What happened to her? Is she alright?" he shuddered with panic while stammering.

"She tried to take her life. She's in critical condition. I advise you to come as soon as possible" Came a sad response of the doctor.

Ren's blood froze. His entire body went numb. His mind refused to think and process normally.

 _"It's all my fault. If only I had talked to her and explained the reason of my marriage. I remarried for her sake. She needed a mother. I had no idea she would go that far to harm herself. She's only six years old. How could she do this? Does she hate me that much?" Ren was as white as a ghost._

His mobile fell down from his hands as he stood there frozen in place, shocking everyone else who was present there.

"Ren… Ren….!" Lory shouted.

"Mr. Tsuruga….? What happened?" Came Kyoko's voice.

"Ren, hang in there. Pull yourself together. Tell us what happened?" Yashiro let out worriedly.

"Tsuruga-san? What happened?" Kanae asked with concern but no one got any answer from the man who was standing there completely unresponsive, with tears rolling down his face.

* * *

"We were lucky enough to save her in time as the cut wasn't deep but you have to be extra careful Mr. Tsuruga, because if this goes on then she'll need counseling and a psychiatrist for her treatment. She's only a kid after all. What could be so depressive for her to take the step of suicide attempt? It's your responsibility to protect her from harm as a father. Please don't let this incident repeat itself" Doctor advised Ren as he patted his shoulder in attempt to console the broken father before him.

Ren lower his eyes as tears fell down from his eyes and cursed himself mentally.

 _"I'm such a failure! I couldn't be good in anything!" Ren was drowned in self-loath._

"Can I see my daughter?" Ren pleaded.

The doctor shook his head.

"We have kept her under observation for a while. You'll have to wait until she's ready for visitors" Doctor looked at Ren apologetically and excused himself as he left, leaving Ren behind broken who stayed outside the ICU waiting for his turn to see his daughter.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't be a good father. I couldn't understand you. I distanced myself from you when I should have acted both as a mother and a father for you. I couldn't be a good husband. I took your mother's life. I couldn't be a good son, I left my parents behind, I couldn't meet anyone's expectations. I'm horrible! I failed in everything." Ren sat down on the bench outside the ICU, cursing himself and crying hopelessly then he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.

He looked up with his tear-streaked face and found his new wife sitting beside him.

"Don't cry Mr. Tsuruga" she gently wiped away his tears with her thumb.

He broke down even more as he clenched his hands into tight balls.

"I'm such a failure. I have ruined her life. I have ruined your life. I shouldn't have married you. I'm sorry. She needed mother's affection and no one else could give her selfless mother's love except you but I guess, she won't accept you easily. I have made your life difficult. I'm so sorry" He apologized while crying hardly as he hung his head.

 _My daughter is going to hate me even more. I don't know what to do. I shouldn't have agreed to Lory's proposal. Now I have ruined two lives. How am I going to compensate the loss?_

Kyoko shook her head as she smiled weakly at him.

"It's not your fault. She's just a child Mr. Tsuruga. Heart of a child is pure like an angel. I'm sure she'll open up to you gradually and accept me eventually but if she doesn't then we can always try to win her over till we succeed. It's worth to try." She smiled as she tried to console him but he wasn't convinced.

"I don't think so Kyoko-san, I have ruined everything. She's going to hate me even more than before, I know it. I just didn't know how to talk to her and approach her after her mother's death so I kept my distance but it caused great damage to my relationship with my own daughter. She doesn't even stand the sight of me anymore and now this…" he held his head in his hands in dismay.

Kyoko rubbed his back for comfort.

"No, you are wrong Mr. Tsuruga, she loves you. It's just that she doesn't know how to talk to you anymore. She wants your love and attention more than anything. A child's heart is pure from hatred and animosity. It'll melt away in no time. We'll just have to keep on trying."

Ren looked at her with guilty eyes.

"Are you sure? Will she really forgive me?" He asked, well more like begged.

Kyoko nodded.

"She isn't angry with you. She's just hurt and wants her father's affection. You are the most important person for her. She relies and wishes for your love only" She reassured him gently.

Ren's throbbing heart felt a bit peace.

He looked at her with eyes filled with gratitude.

"Don't worry Mr. Tsuruga, from now on, Aika-chan is my own daughter. I may not be her biological real mother but she will never feel the bitterness of a step mother in me. I'll always keep her close to my heart. I promise" she said as she squeezed his larger hand lightly.

A shocking expression appeared on his face then it was replaced by small smile.

"Thank you" he whispered, comforting his heart to stop being so restless for his daughter's health. _"She'll be alright. Nothing's going to happen to her. She's out of danger now"_ he reassured himself over and over again.

* * *

Mogami Saena was extremely happy. She was practically on cloud nine. She'd finally done it. Sitting in the lawn of her vast Mansion, she sipped her tea while enjoying each passing moment of her victory.

"Kyoko, it's my revenge on you. You must be in tears right now. At last, I won. You'll never find your sweetheart again. I have managed to break you two apart. You are married to a man who's four years elder than you. A widower who already has a child. Why would a broken man like him pay any attention to you? You'll suffer till death, craving for his love, your Sho-chan's love but you won't be able to find any. You'll suffer just like I did. Your tears are my happiness, your wounds are my healing, the more you cry, the more I feel better, you useless child! You deserve every bit of pain!" Saena growled with disgust as her eyes went dark with hatred.

* * *

Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a happy reading! Till next time…


	2. Healing an Innocent Heart

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.**

* * *

 **Reluctant Love**

 **Chapter-1-Healing an Innocent Heart**

* * *

 **6 month ago: First Encounter  
**

Ren could feel someone's presence behind him. He had been receiving calls from unknown number. Someone had been following him for 2 days. It was a girl with long raven hair and golden eyes having petite body. It pissed him off. He was annoyed. He was outrageous. He took long steps to cover the distance hurriedly and reached his apartment complex but the woman was still following him.

 _"Is she a stalker or something? What does she want from me? I have to shove her away. I can't stand another crazy fan girl head over heels for me" Ren thought as he turned around to face the cause of his distraction._

He didn't like crazy girls chasing after him. Women never stopped drooling over him because of his perfect persona. Even the thought of some overheated fan was enough to boil his blood to infinite extent. Couldn't someone at least admire him for who he was? Why it was always his personality, status and money becoming the reason behind all the appreciation he had got? He was sick of it. Even the truth of him being a widower wasn't enough to keep women away from him. He knew why they were after him. He could buy the entire city if he wanted so who wouldn't want him? Just a little nod of acceptance and women could go out of their way to approach him. He hated it. He never wanted to fall in love with women of any kind, not when he was well aware of their cunning and selfish nature. He had married his late wife, Murasame Ayumi, out of love, just because of his parents nagging him to get married and give them grand children. It was an arranged marriage settled by his parents. He had no love interest, no crush at all in his life so he didn't object and married her but he was heartbroken to find out that his wife loved someone else and married him for his money so that she could divorce him later and run away with her ex-lover to have a lavish lifestyle forever.

His whole being was crushed to know the bitter reality and his wife's evil intentions towards him. She always looked for excuses to fight with him for no reason. He was near the edge of being fed up with her to the point of leaving her alone in his ex-apartment and separated himself from her, leaving no chance of his return for her but unfortunately, his marriage couldn't last more than a year and she died during child birth, leaving a note behind full of regret and begging for his forgiveness for using him as a source of her welfare. He could do nothing but forgive her. He had no reason to stay angry at his deceased wife. He wasn't that heartless after all. What happened to him was his ill fate. He didn't blame anyone for it and just let his anger go for his wife. He couldn't do the same with her. He wanted her soul to rest in peace so he forgave her and shifted to another area along with his new born daughter and vowed to never fall in love or have any soft feelings for any woman in his entire life.

"Who are you and why are you following me?" Ren suddenly turned around just when he was about to step into the elevator and glared at the girl.

The girl was startled and jumped with fright when she saw extreme anger in his eyes. His face was stern and he was looking at him as if he was ready to attack her and eat her alive any moment.

She couldn't utter a single word out of shock and gulped nervously.

"Answer me!"

She winced at the intensity of his voice.

"Are you deaf or something? Why are you following me? Are you a stalker? Leave me alone or else you'll regret it!"

The woman before him just stared at him and it seemed like she was searching for right words to speak up while fidgeting with her hands.

"I…." she paused to compose herself and bowed before him to apologize.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you or cause you any distress but I wanted to return something which belonged to you. I'm really sorry if I troubled you in any way" she said straightening up in perfect posture.

"Huh?" Ren blinked at her quizzically.

"What you mean?" he asked being unable to get her meaning as he narrowed his eyes refusing to believe her.

She dug out a wallet from her purse and handed it to him.

"You dropped this when you were stepping out of supermarket 2 days ago. I tried calling you out from behind but you were gone. I didn't know who you were so I took a peek inside just to know where you lived so that I could return it to you. I could give it to the watch man of your apartment building but I just wanted to make sure you got your belonging. You can check it for assurance, I didn't touch anything. Everything is still there untouched, I just checked your card for your number but you never answered your phone leaving me with no choice but to come to your apartment building. I just wanted to return it as soon as I could but I never got any chance to catch you. I waited for you all day yesterday but you never came home I guess so I….Honestly, I didn't mean to make you worried or startle you" She started panting because of her ranting. She didn't know how to explain herself before the man she didn't even know.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any harm" she bowed and apologized again.

 _What? No fainting, no fangirling? No crazy confession of eternal love? She came here to give me my wallet? She doesn't even know who I am? Who is she? Does she belong to Japan or not? Is she from somewhere else? Is she new here?_

Ren scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. His face was red, not because of anger but shame. He thought she was a stalker when she was not. She was just trying to help and being nice when he was ready to devour her out of anger any moment.

He cleared his throat and coughed as he tried to dig for right words to make up for his rude behavior.

"Thank you for your kindness and I'm sorry for being harsh. I thought you were some crazy fan who was trying to stalk me. I apologize"

She waved it away and gave him a smile.

"It's alright. I can understand. Take Care of yourself. I'll take your leave now" she bowed to him once again and turned around to leave but he stopped her at once startling himself at his action.

"Please have a cup of tea at least; I'm so sorry you went through so much trouble to return my wallet. I never noticed it was gone because I hardly do any shopping or spend money on myself. I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble. I know it won't be enough but please allow me to show some gratitude and have a cup of tea with me please, I'll be happy to have you as my guest"

"No, please don't trouble yourself. Thank you for your offer but I'm getting late. I have to go. I'm a high school teacher so I can't afford to be late" she told him.

"Oh….." he let out nervously with a smile.

"Well it can't be helped then, thank you so much Miss….?

"Mogami Kyoko…"

"Yeah, thank you so much Miss Mogami" he bowed to her respectfully before she waved at him and left.

* * *

 **Marriage Meeting:**

"You?" Ren almost screamed when he saw the woman sitting across the table.

"Ah, it's you Mr. Tsuruga" Kyoko let out surprisingly at her blind date.

She came to meet her future husband in a restaurant and was shocked to find out who the man was. He was none other than Ren Tsuruga. It was an arranged marriage meeting set up by her mother Mogami Saena.

 _So he's the man my mother has chosen for me as my husband?_

Ren's cheeks were slightly red with embarrassment again. He sipped his coffee awkwardly to hide his inner trouble.

"I thought it was some other Ren familiar with my mother. I didn't know it was you." She told him which caused him to look up at her at once.

"Is this marriage against your will?" he asked immediately with a concerned look on his face.

She shook her head.

"Kyoko-san you should take some more time to decide. I'm a widower and a father of 6 years old daughter. I'm elder than you. You are young and beautiful. Don't force yourself to lead your life with someone like me when you can marry man of your age. I can give you nothing. I don't want you to put up with my troubles. You don't deserve it. You have a kind heart. You deserve so much better, not a broken person like me…." Ren was trying to convince her to think again and make her decision wisely when she cut him off in mid way.

"I love someone else Mr. Tsuruga"

Ren stared at her stunned.

"W-Who?" he stuttered while asking her, doubting his hearing ability.

"Fuwa Shoutaro, top sensational singer of Japan." She told him who was snapped into silence.

"…"

"I…" Ren trailed off as he let her confession sink in.

"I… don't understand Kyoko-san, if you have someone else then why are you marrying me?" he asked blinking away the heat he felt behind his eyes.

Kyoko sighed heavily.

"He isn't in my fate. I have broken up with him." She stated sadly.

Ren couldn't help but stare at her again with his mouth wide open.

"Why?" he found himself asking her again.

"Let's just say that I loved him enough to let him go. I didn't want my mother to destroy his career. I had to break his heart and sacrifice my love for him because I knew that singing was his life blood. He couldn't imagine his life without music"

Ren was tongue tied. His heart tightened for some unknown reason. How could her mother be so cruel to force her for an unwanted marriage? What kind of mother she was? He had no idea about it. Her mother should have supported her to marry the person she loved but what was she doing manipulating her like that? Ren felt a sick feeling coursing through his veins.

"Kyoko-san…." Ren whispered softly as his chest tightened feeling sad for her. "You don't have to marry me. No one can force you against your will, not even your mother. You are an adult now. You don't have to sacrifice your life…." Ren couldn't complete his statement when Kyoko interrupted again.

"I have no objection against this marriage Mr. Tsuruga. I have already given my willingness for the marriage." She told him with a smile.

"What… Why… I don't understand…" Ren was at loss of words.

"Don't worry Mr. Tsuruga. I know everything about you that you aren't interested in love and I'm not going to force you for that. I know my mother's intentions are evil but I am not like her. I am marrying you because of Aika-chan, your daughter. I don't want her to suffer like me. She reminds me of my childhood. Lost and broken. I don't want some cruel woman to come and crush her innocent childhood like my own mother did to me. I want to bring her back to happiness. I want her to feel that life is beautiful. I want her to enjoy each moment of her life. I don't have any bad intention behind this marriage. I just…." She stopped when she noticed his unease.

Ren was tapping the table with his long finger the whole time she spoke. He was amazed, maybe she wasn't that bad after all but why did she told him about her first love then?

"Kyoko-san, if you had no objection against the marriage and wanted to marry me for Aika-chan then why did you tell me about your first love? Didn't you do it to get rejected so that you didn't have to marry me? Is it your way to reject this marriage proposal?" he asked hesitating as he dropped his head lower, avoiding her gaze.

Kyoko let out another sigh.

"No Mr. Tsuruga, I didn't tell you to get rejected or anything. I am not trying to avoid or run away from this marriage. I told you because you deserved to know as you were going to be my husband and I don't like to keep secrets. Truth is better than lying, don't you agree?" She told him while meeting his eyes.

"Aren't you afraid that I might get angry or reject you for being honest?" he asked her in disbelief.

"No, honesty is better than deception. I'll respect your decision if you refuse to marry me. It's all up to you. I just don't want to lay the foundation of marriage on lies and hidden secrets" she simply stated.

He nodded in agreement with a smile.

"I'm happy that you told me Kyoko-san. I still think you should take some time to reconsider your decision. You'll lose your chance to be with your loved one after marrying me" he tried to reason with her but her eyes showed determination.

"He isn't for me Mr. Tsuruga. I have let him go forever and I know he won't forgive me after the way I have broken his heart" Her face fell. "I have lost two best companions in my life who were close to my heart, my best friends" she said recalling her past.

 _True love never returns if you kick it away harshly. He'll never forgive me. I just know it._

"Two?" Ren raised a brow.

She nodded. One's my first love and the other one's my childhood best friend, the one who promised to be with me forever through thick and thin but left me behind, never to show up again" she felt the stab of pain twisting her heart while remembering her long lost Corn.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" he himself felt hurt when he saw so much pain in her eyes.

She blinked her tears away and smiled at him. "I have no objection if you don't have any but if you have any doubt or second thoughts about this marriage then we can go on our separate ways. I'll deal with my mother myself"

"No need, because I don't want to marry anyone else but you. I'm glad I met you and we are definitely going to tie a knot. Welcome to the family Kyoko-san, I hope you won't have any trouble living with me" he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze while smiling brightly at her.

 _There's no better mother for my daughter except you. You are the only one who'll embrace her without any malice or greed hidden behind your affections._

* * *

 **Back to present: 2 Weeks later…**

Ren came home after spending the whole night in his office working and went straight to his room, locking himself to sulk alone for being such a failure. He was running away, afraid to face his daughter who had completely pushed him away refusing to talk to him. A week had passed since her discharge from hospital and returned to home but she did nothing to approach her father and shove him away bluntly whenever he tried to show his affections for her. All she did was screaming her anger and hatred out for remarrying and imposing a step mother on her when she didn't want anyone else in her life but him.

He heard someone knocking at the door.

"Mr. Tsuruga?" she called out while knocking at the door lightly again.

Ren dragged himself towards the door and mustered the strength to open the door and let Kyoko in.

I brought your dinner since you haven't eaten anything since yesterday. I bet you didn't eat anything either in your office right?" Kyoko asked putting the dish on the table.

Ren sighed and stared down at his feet. Silently he sat down at the edge of his bed, refusing to express his awful condition in words.

His face was clearly displaying his worry. He was pale and looked lifeless like a zombie.

Kyoko sat beside him and remained silent, giving him time to collect himself.

"I failed to be a loving father for her. She hates me" he gripped the bed sheet as anger flared inside him at his failure.

He looked down feeling disdained of himself.

"No matter how hard I try, she won't accept me. I can't do anything but to watch her drifting away from me!" he said helplessly as he punched his right side, letting his frustration out.

Kyoko held his hand abruptly which caused him to look up at her surprised.

"No, Mr. Tsuruga, you don't have to do anything. Just keep trying" she comforted him patting his hand.

"I don't know what to do. What if she went far away from me?" he asked her with pained expression as his eyes started to sting with unshed tears.

"She is a part of you Mr. Tsuruga. She belongs to you. Why are you so insecure? No matter where she goes, she'll always come back to you. She can't separate herself from you. She's your blood. She can't hate her beloved father. You are the only one she desires for. You are being unable to see her love and longing for your affection and attention hidden behind her anger and frustration"

Tears streaked down his face and he twisted himself to embrace her tightly as he let his helplessness get out of his wounded soul.

Kyoko rubbed circles of comfort on his back.

"You don't have to hate yourself. It's not your fault. You are just being tested. I know you love her a lot. You just have to show it to her and promise her that you'll always stay by her side no matter what happens. Her heart is fragile Mr. Tsuruga, she has lost her mother. How can she accept someone else so easily in her place?" She tried her best to console him and leaned back to wipe his tears.

 _This man is already broken. He looks devastated and lost. He's absolutely harmless. I'll try my best to repair the bond between him and his daughter. They need each other._

"Come on, eat. Skipping meal won't bring anything good. I'll take care of Aika-chan don't worry" Kyoko said as she got up to leave the room but he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"But she hates you. How will you convince her?" he whispered. Kyoko's eyes softened.

"Leave it to me. Let me try. I'm sure she doesn't hate me. I think I know why she is reluctant to accept me" she assured him giving him a kind smile.

He sighed and let her go. "Don't forget to finish your meal or else you'll get sick" she instructed him before stepping out of his room.

 _I hope you'd be able to win her over, one thing which I couldn't do._

* * *

"Aika-chan…?" Kyoko called out her daughter as she entered her dark room.

The little girl was curled into a cocoon with her face buried in her stuffed toy hugging it tightly against her chest.

"Aika-chan…?" Kyoko called out again as she sat beside her and stroked her hair lovingly, turning the light on.

"Go away, you are bad" she spat, refusing to move an inch and face her mother as she threw her stuffed toy at her in anger but Kyoko ignored it.

She ran her hand through her hair and tried to turn her around.

"Are you angry with me about something?" Kyoko asked her gently.

Aika sobbed silently.

"Did I do something wrong? Why are you crying?" Kyoko asked worriedly when she felt her daughter crying.

She turned her around and forced her to look at her.

Her eyes were red due to intense crying. Kyoko didn't know for how long the little girl had been crying.

 _Oh poor kid, I am sorry I made you cry. I just want you to be happy. I didn't mean to hurt you._

"You took my mother's place. You snatched my father from me. You are cruel!. He doesn't love me anymore. You are an evil step mother. I don't want you with us. I just want my father" Aika burst into tears again and hid her face away from her step mother.

Kyoko's heart gripped tightly _. I have caused so much damage and pain to this little girl. It's my responsibility to make it up to her and bring smile on her face for the rest of my life no matter what it takes._

Kyoko lifted the girl up and clenched her against her chest, rocking her back and forth , ignoring her protests.

"Who told you that I wanted to take your mother's place? How can I drag your father away from you when he's yours to begin with?" Kyoko inquired her affectionately.

Aika hitched because of intensive crying and jolted up to look at her step mother.

"You won't take my mother's place?" she asked innocently.

"No" Kyoko said with a smile as she brushed little girl's tears away.

"You won't provoke father against me? You won't take him away?"

Kyoko shook her head.

 _Who told her all this? Did someone try to brainwash her or something?_

"No, Aika-chan, I won't do anything like that. I can't because your parents belong to you only. You are their precious little doll. They are yours only. No one can take them away from you no matter how hard they try"

Aika stared at Kyoko as if she was an alien.

Little girl with green eyes and blonde hair in pony tails with light blushy cheeks and creamy skin tone looked so cute like an angel even while crying. She looked exactly little version of her father by features except her eyes and hair were different from him.

"Do you really mean it?" Aika asked softly, as if trying to reassure her innocent heart.

"Yes" Kyoko nodded ruffling her hair and kissing both of her cheeks affectionately.

The girl still had tint of doubt in her eyes. She wasn't fully convinced yet.

"You won't force me to work and clean the apartment like other cruel step mothers?" she questioned Kyoko who gazed at the little girl with wide eyes.

 _That's what my real mother did to me Aika-chan but don't worry I won't be cruel to you. I will make you feel loved and cherished. I won't let anyone torture you, not even myself._

"No, silly why would I do that to my child? I can do everything myself. You just play, study and enjoy your life" Kyoko planted another kiss on her forehead and cleaned her tear streaked face with her hand.

"But you aren't my mother. How can you love me like my real mother? How can you be so nice to me when my father hates me so much to keep himself away from me? He doesn't even talk to me" Aika trembled as fresh tears leaked out of her eyes again.

Kyoko's grip tightened against the little girl. She kept her closer to her chest, letting her feel her warmth as she patted her head lightly. "Shhh… your father loves you more than anything. He just doesn't know how to face you. He needs you as much as you need him Aika-chan" she tried to whisper comforting words in her ear but the little girl with fragile heart which had already been cracked couldn't help but break down.

 _You don't even know what you have done Mr. Tsuruga. I'll make sure you spend your whole life making up to your daughter. How can you be so blind no to see how much she loves you and needs your presence in her life?_

"A mother is a mother Aika-chan, real mother, step mother or adopted mother are just titles given by society. I know I can never be as great as your mother were but I'll make sure not to hurt you in any way and spend my whole life loving you as my daughter. You can call me Kyoko auntie, or just Kyoko if you don't want to call me mother. I won't force you for anything" she said running her hand up and down her back to soothe her pain.

"Really?" Aika asked clearly astonished.

"Will you be my best friend then Mama?" Aika offered innocently as she leaned back to look at Kyoko in the eyes.

Kyoko's heart swelled with pain and happiness.

"What did you call me?" Kyoko asked for reassurance as she became teary eyed.

"Mama…." She said with a smile. "I have never seen my mother but I like it when you hold me like that. I am sorry I pushed you away. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry" Aika said it so cutely that Kyoko couldn't help but hug her tightly and shower her with kisses. Her heart melted away looking at the face of the little girl.

"Do you know where is your mother's grave?" Kyoko asked softly and Aika nodded.

"I visited her grave once with father"

"Then we'll go to visit her again together everyday OK?"

Aika nodded happily.

"OK it's a deal. We'll visit your mother first thing in the morning everyday" Kyoko grinned.

"Hai!" Aika chirped and cuddled with Kyoko who lifted her up in her arms as she got up from bed.

"Let's make something together for you to eat, shall we?" Kyoko gestured at her daughter as she stepped out of the room and made her way towards the kitchen holding her daughter in her arms lovingly and protectively.

* * *

That's it... till next time. See you all soon.


	3. Painful Discovery

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

* * *

 **Reluctant Love**

 **Chapter-2-Painful Discovery**

* * *

Kyoko was distracted. She was livid. Her inner frustration was too much for her to take. Everything was alright until her mother decided to show up unexpectedly so early in the morning. Kyoko felt suspicious about her sudden visit.

Her sixth sense was warning her. She knew her mother too well. Nothing good could ever be expected from Mogami Saena. That old hag was devilish.

 _"I hope she didn't come to trouble Mr. Tsuruga like she used to trouble Sho with her sick taunting."_ Kyoko's mind was screaming warnings of unknown danger at her. She closed her eyes and exhaled softly in an attempt to compose herself.

" _Why are you here Mother? Can't you just leave me alone? Isn't it enough already? Your presence makes me feel insecure and worthless. What do you exactly want from me? I could never understand you at all. What kind of mother are you to find your happiness in your own daughter's pain?"_ Kyoko sighed heavily and tried her best to pull herself together as she stepped out of the Kitchen with tea to serve her unwanted guest.

As soon as she walked closer to the living room, she heard her mother talking to Ren which certainly wasn't a pleasant conversation.

She stopped dead in her track.

 _You will never change mother. Enough is enough. Leave him alone. He isn't like Sho to fall into your trap._

With a fury of disgust flashing out of her eyes, Kyoko entered the living room and made her presence known as she spoke coldly to her mother.

"What a pleasant surprise! You finally managed some time to pay me a visit? What do you want?" Kyoko's face was expressionless and her eyes were vacant, having no affection or happiness at her mother's arrival.

She could see sadness and shame in Ren's eyes who was looking at everything but her. Poor guy was stiff like a wooden board.

 _What the hell did you do to him mother?_

She placed the dish on the table and sat beside Ren on the couch after serving them their cups of tea.

Saena smirked at her daughter's hospitality and took a sip as she crossed her legs and leaned back to sit more comfortably.

"I just came to see my daughter and son in law. Am I not allowed?" Saena spoke innocently and Kyoko groaned at her tone.

 _"Like I'll believe you!"_ Kyoko was relieved that Aika was asleep in her room. She didn't want her daughter anywhere near that old hag. Her mother had two faces. She loved to provoke and hurt others and then act innocent as if nothing happened. Kyoko didn't want Aika to suffer on her account.

" **Why are you here Mother?"** Kyoko emphasized sternly as she inquired her.

Saena's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"You know me so well. Well since you don't watch TV or read magazines so I thought that I should come by and tell you everything myself"

Kyoko raised a brow in confusion.

"Tell me what mother?"

Saena placed the cup back on the table and straightened up to look into her daughter's eyes.

"About **_your_** Sho-chan's marriage" She announced with a big smile on her face.

Kyoko's breath hitched.

 _"You are disgusting mother. You are telling me about my ex in front of my husband as if it's the most normal thing to do. Do you have any idea that it can spoil my relationship with him? For God's sake, I'm already married to him just like you wanted. Sho is not_ _ **mine**_ _anymore. I have a family now. Don't try to create problems in my married life."_

"He is engaged to marry Nanokura Mimori in six months. He moved on too fast just like you did and threw away everything you had with him like a used tissue paper. I guess you are like me after all. No difference" Saena chuckled.

Kyoko balled her fist in rage. "I'm nothing like you." She shot back as anger flared inside her and reached to its limit. She was near to explode.

Saena only shrugged in response.

Sensing the tension building up around them, Ren decided to break the silence and spoke up.

"If you have nothing else to say then I suggest you to leave Ma'am. You are taking it too far. I don't have much free time to listen. Ren's own temper was rising. He didn't know how he managed to control himself. His inner beast was about to be unleashed but he held him in check and decided to behave as ethically as he possibly could by putting on his polite façade.

This caused Saena to laugh even more. She held her stomach and shook violently as she made an attempt to hold herself back from bursting into tears from laughing.

Ren and Kyoko looked at each other quizzically and then at Saena.

When Saena finally became normal, she glared at Ren.

"Look who's talking. Didn't you take it too far by lying to my daughter? She doesn't even know who you truly are. In fact nobody knows in the whole Japan. You kept it so perfectly from others that they didn't even get suspicious and idolized a fake person like you for so long who's nothing more than a delinquent and a murderer." She accused him.

Ren tensed up and words died in his mouth as his throat went dry. His face became colorless.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

 _"What the hell is she talking about? She's gone totally insane!"_

"What? Did I hit the nerve, Hizuri Kuon?" Saena smiled wolfishly as she looked at Ren who had completely lost under her blunt accusation, giving her cold heart the needed satisfaction.

 _"H-How does she know? How the hell did she find out about me? Oh God! I'm doomed!"_ Ren growled pitifully in his mind. He wanted to kick and punch himself. He didn't expect that coming from that wicked witch. She knew his weakness and he didn't know how. She knew about his painful past and he didn't have any idea how did she find out. He thought it was too confidential for anyone to find out but he was so wrong. The woman before him was a cunning and clever fox.

Ren rubbed his hands nervously. His shoulders started to shake in fear. He didn't want Kyoko to find out about his ugly-self but the damage was already done in worst way.

"Y-You…!" Ren gulped as he tried to utter a word, something, just anything to say in response in order to defend himself but he couldn't. He was deeply frozen.

"Are you denying your own existence now? Are you trying to deny that you were born as Hizuri Kuon to famous international business tycoon Hizuri Kuu and top model and fashion designer Julie Hizuri? You ran off from Los Angles and took shelter in Japan under the persona of Tsuruga Ren to hide your unforgivable crime. Did you really think I wouldn't know and approach you without knowing anything about your background? I am an international lawyer and a prominent figure in business world dear son-in-law. Nothing is impossible for me. I get what I want without any obstacle in my way. Fetching your info was just a piece of cake. You have green eyes, blond hair and mixed heritage. Am I right?" Saena laughed mockingly as she kept talking constantly, regardless of the impact of her words on the poor guy who had gone into deep shock of deadly silence.

Meanwhile, when Kuon was fighting with himself and Saena was celebrating another victory of her, Kyoko was thunderstruck. Her world had crumbled. Her dreams were once again broken. She was once again crushed under fate's cruel feet.

 _"K-Kuon…? Mr. Tsuruga is K-Kuon Hizuri? Kuon? Green eyes and light hair? C-Corn…."_ A distant memory flashed in the back of her mind and her head started to spin when she finally was able to put two and two together. Everything became so clear to her and her heart clenched in pain as realization hit her.

* * *

 _"Don't go Corn. Don't leave me. You are my best friend. I don't want to lose you" little girl sobbed quietly as she clung to her fairy prince, begging him to drop the idea of leaving but he had made up his mind and nothing could come in his way to stop him. He was determined._

 _"I can't stay Kyoko-chan, I have to leave" The boy let out softly as he pushed her away gently and turned his back on her._

 _"Corn…." Little Kyoko begged from behind as she ran after him and caught his sleeve in her deadly grip._

 _"Please don't go. Take me with you. You promised me to stay by my side forever. You promised that you would be my friend forever. Please don't leave. I can't bear your departure. Can't you stay please?" She cried out loudly._

 _Koun's heart broke. She sounded so pained and broken. It ripped his heart into pieces but he knew that he couldn't stay. He didn't deserve her friendship. He didn't deserve anyone in his life. He was a dangerous monster who deserved to be caged deep inside the chambers of darkness and loneliness._

 _"No I can't stay with you here anymore. I have to go back to my world. We can't be friends. We can't. It's a forbidden relationship. I'm a fairy and you are a human. Nothing can ever happen between us. We both belong to different worlds. I'm sorry for hurting you but it's impossible. Forget about me. It's best for you." He left her behind crying her eyes out and walked away with a broken heart._

 _"I m sorry Kyoko-chan but I don't deserve you. You are too good for me. I'm extremely sorry for hurting you but I can't stay with you, not when I am flawed and you are so pure. I wish I had your pure heart and innocence. I wish you all the best in life. Please be happy without me and forget that you ever met me. That's best for you. You won't accept me if you came to know what kind of a bastard I really am. Please forgive me for breaking my promise and leaving you behind. Farewell! I wish I could take your pain with me. I know you'll hate me but I'll always remember you in my heart" Young Kuon felt the heat of sadness behind his eyes as he disappeared from her sight without looking back at her._

* * *

Kyoko's heart ached recalling her painful departing memory. Her eyes started to well up with tears. She was about to burst. Her fate was laughing down at her.

He had lied to her purposely. He wasn't a fairy. He lied to her because he didn't want her in his life and wanted to get rid of her. He pretended to be her friend as long as he wanted to but when he got tired, he just tossed her aside and walked out of her life, never to come back again. He rejected her existence in his life. She was needless for him. He had made it clear to her that she never meant anything to him.

The truth fell like boiling water upon her crushed little frame and burnt her whole being into flames of despair.

 _Why Corn? Why didn't you tell me the truth that you didn't want to be my friend? You didn't need to lie. If only I had known then I would have never approached you or troubled you with my unrequited existence. I am such a fool._

The growing pain was becoming unbearable for her. She mentally slapped and scolded herself to get a grip.

She wanted to laugh at herself. Corn didn't want her in his life. He had refused to accept her long ago when they were children but fate loved to play games with her and torture her in all possible ways. Her fate threw her back in his life again. Kyoko felt torn. Her heart was squashed into irreparable pieces.

Oh how was she going to face him afterwards? She couldn't possibly let him know about who she was. No, there was no way in hell she could let that happen. She didn't want to make him feel guilty or obligated to bear her burden when he obviously didn't want to have any kind of connection with her.

 _God, why did you do this to me? Why did you bring him back in my life? I can't take it. How am I supposed to act around him now? It would be too distracting and miserable for me to pretend like a stranger._

Kyoko blinked her tears away and put on a calm face, burying the heavy storm deep inside her using all of her strength.

She glared at her mother with such cold eyes that could fright and freeze anyone to death. Saena winced when Kyoko talked to her rudely for the first time in her life.

"That's enough! Get out of here!" She roared at her mother and moved closer to console Ren who was practically shaking due to the impact of his trauma that he had been trying to forget for such a long time.

"How dare you speak to me like that?! Have you forgotten who I am, you useless child? Here I am trying to show you his real face and you dare to talk back for that criminal? Don't you have any manners? Saena blazed with rage and shot daggers in Ren's direction.

Ren's was sweat dropped. Kyoko held his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly then directed her attention to her mother.

"Do you honestly think that I would believe you? I don't need to know anything about him from you. There are limits to be heartless. I am ashamed of being your daughter. How could you get so low? If you knew everything about his past then why didn't you tell me before? Why now, when I already have married him? You know what? You are sick in your head and definitely need a mental check up. Get lost and don't come back here. From today on, I share no connection with you. You are dead for me. Despicable woman!" Kyoko said through her gritted teeth. Volume of her voice was rising to the highest notch.

Saena looked away running a hand through her hair roughly.

"So you are choosing him over me? You are willing to cut ties with your biological mother for this old, hollow, worthless widower who doesn't even have the power to make you happy? Are you willing to sacrifice your happiness just to be his maid and his daughter's nanny? What would you do if I revealed his secret and ruined his reputation?"

Kyoko cursed the old woman under her breath.

What did she actually want? Was she really her real mother? What the heck was wrong with that woman?

Ren felt mortified. His world was slowly falling apart. He tried to collect himself and act normally but the blow was too strong and he was crushed under its load. He was limp as noodles in arms of his wife who was trying to comfort him by rubbing his back gently.

"You really have no shame woman. You are threatening him in his own house? You are shamelessly daring! If you ever tried to reveal his secret then I'd let the whole world know about how you slept your way up to success. How you slept with your own senior to become an international lawyer and how you threw yourself like a piece of meat in front of that bastard President of Akatoki Agency just so you could manipulate Sho the way you wanted. Don't try provoking me to reveal your dirty secrets because believe me, the moment you opened your mouth, your fake reputation of being a civilized lady would be ruined forever. He might be a widower but he is at least better than a whore like you not to sleep with a new girl everyday just to please himself!" Kyoko said tonelessly, her patience limit finally exceeded, causing her extreme outburst of anger.

Saena's smile faded.

Her face turned pale. "You…how dare…!" Saena spat out but Kyoko cut her off in the middle and held up a hand to stop her.

"Leave and remember to keep your mouth shut…or else you will really be sorry" Kyoko's tone was piercing. It cut through Saena's heart and she bit her lip to stop herself from hissing at her daughter.

"I'll get you soon Kyoko. You'll regret messing with me. I won't let you get away with this!" Saena stood up and glared at Kyoko like a lioness for the last time as she threatened her. She knew it was best for her to leave therefore she did so and left the two broken figures behind.

* * *

Moments passed and no one spoke, not even a single word. The silence was killing. Both were lost in their own worlds, not knowing how to restart the conversation.

Kyoko knelt down before Ren and caressed his cheek with her thumb. Her touch caused him to look up at her but he averted his gaze at once when his eyes met hers.

Kyoko couldn't tell what exactly he was feeling because his face expression was hidden behind his bangs but she knew one thing for sure. He was deeply hurt. She could feel it.

She fought against the urge to scream at her mother once again. She had no right to just barge into his house and insult him the way she did. She absolutely had no sense of decency. Mogami Saena had crossed all limits of humanity, tempered with his private life behind his back and used it as a weapon to blackmail him. How shameful! It was totally an unethical thing to do. His secret had nothing to do with her. Was she that clean herself to point a finger at him and judge him on the basis of his past? One thing became absolutely clear to Kyoko that Mogami Saena didn't care about anyone. She didn't care what others felt. All she cared about was herself and it pissed her but she was helpless to do anything extreme against her, because unfortunately Saena was her mother, the one who had given her life.

She sighed shakily when he clenched his fists and remained silent, concealing his pain behind his composed frame but Kyoko wasn't blind. She could see his red eyes. She knew that he was being torn apart so she cleared her throat and spoke as gently as she could.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt on my account. I didn't know she would go that far or else I would have never agreed to marry you."

He looked at her surprised.

"Are you regretting Kyoko-san? Do you want to leave?" he whispered in despair as he hung his head.

 _No one likes to be with a lying beast. I am a fake person who only knows how to hurt others and take away their happiness. I am a curse who would destroy anyone who came in touch. Even my own shadow runs away from me._

He inhaled heavily. His eyes were becoming teary.

"I understand if you do and I won't stop you. I kept my identity a secret from you when you deserved to know everything before marriage. You told me everything about your past but I didn't have the guts to tell you anything. I am sorry." he became silent again being unable to continue.

Kyoko shook her head and smiled at him.

"I don't want to know anything about your past because it's not mine. It's yours. Don't worry she isn't very brave to reveal your secret. She is a coward who values her reputation above everything but even if she did reveal your secret, it won't make any difference. No one can take what's yours away from you. People who love you will always be with you no matter what happens. You don't have to be afraid. Please don't take what my mother said to your heart. She's always been that way. You don't have to be ashamed of your real-self. In fact your imperfection is what makes you perfect. Don't run away from yourself Mr. Tsuruga."

A tear threatened to escape but before it could fall down, Kyoko caught it and wiped his tears gently.

"You don't need to be scared of yourself Kuon Hizuri. It might be a bit challenging and painful for you but happiness lies ahead of pain. Embrace yourself fearlessly and start anew. I'll always be here with you." Kyoko said and pulled the broken man to her for a gentle hug and dropped the idea of asking him anything because he looked emotionally unstable.

Ren didn't resist and let her console his wounded soul.

Her gentle touch was enough to treat his deep wounds. He felt safe in her embrace. Her warmth was engulfing his entire being bit by bit that soon enough, he started to feel dizzy.

She rubbed his back softly and whispered comforting words to him as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried silently. Kyoko stayed silent and let him have his moment of peace as she held him closer and gave him her warmth and support. He was feeling so worn out physically and mentally that he dozed off in her comforting embrace.

 _I won't trouble you with my presence Corn. I'll never let you know who I am. You don't have to know. I won't ask you anything because I have no share in your past but I'll protect you. I will keep myself at a fair distance not to bother you so much. Even if you didn't consider me your friend, I did with all my heart and I'm going to fulfill my responsibility. You live your life as you please and I'll protect you as your back up. I won't let anyone harm you. I will be here as long as you need me then I'll leave just as quietly as I came in your life without revealing anything about our past connection._

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you like the chapter. I wrote this chapter at 1 AM yesterday but I had to go to University so I couldn't post it sooner. I am sorry for the delay. It's not edited. I will do that later so if you find any spelling mistakes or missing words please ignore it. Love is Worship is my favorite story so I'll update it when I'll have enough time to concentrate. Don't worry I am not giving up on my stories. It's just matter of few days. Soon, I'll become active again. I hope you like the chapter.

Until next time, see you all soon.

Take Care


	4. Letting go of Past

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of it's characters.

* * *

 **Reluctant Love**

 **Chapter-3-Letting go of Past  
**

* * *

Kyoko was busy working in staffroom when a certain someone barged into her privacy and closed the door behind him. Startled at the sudden interruption, she looked up and her heart almost jumped out of her throat when she saw who the trespasser was.

Midterm exams were coming up and were just one week afar so work had become hectic and she had to stay late for after-school tuition to her students for better preparation and clearance of concepts. She was so absorbed in setting question papers for upcoming exams that she didn't even notice when a certain blond walked in.

"Sho….?" She got up in surprise.

The said man didn't wait for her to recover and ran to throw his arms around her and hugged her with all his might.

"I missed you Kyoko. How have you been?" Sho asked dipping his nose in the crook of her neck.

She felt bolts of electricity crawling through her body. Kyoko almost lost herself in his arms and couldn't speak a word. Her hands moved up to wrap themselves around his back. She could feel his warmth encircling her bit by bit. She'd missed him. Her heart was aching to see him once again but soon enough, reality of being married to someone else pulled her out of the captivating spell and she pushed him away.

Hurt and confused, Sho stared at her. "Why did you push me away Kyoko? Don't you love me anymore?"

Kyoko's heart skipped a beat. Ren's cracked plea from previous night began to haunt her mind once again.

 _Don't go. Come sleep next to me. Don't leave._

 _It's dark and cold. Stay with me._

 _Even if you don't love me, don't go back to him. I can't stand being a second option._

 _I want you to stay here with me tonight._

Her heart fragmented into irreversible pieces. What was she thinking losing herself again? Weren't they over already then what was he doing hugging her lovingly when he was supposed to despise her for breaking his heart?

She turned her back on him and let her tears slid down. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly, wiping her tears away before he could notice them.

"I came here to see you and take you away with me. I couldn't wait any longer so I ditched Shoko and ran off. She must be looking for me by now but I don't care." he said wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Kyoko flinched away from his touch and uncoiled herself from his grasping arms.

"It's impossible. I am not going anywhere with you. Aren't you engaged to marry someone else? Why are you still pursuing me when it's clearly worthless? I am out of your reach now." she choked out angrily or rather pretended to sound angry.

Sho turned her around and looked into her eyes as he cupped her face amorously and started. "It's all an act to push your mother out of the way. Mimori is my friend. She's playing along. You don't have to be scared anymore Kyoko. We can be together again. You don't have to force yourself to stay with that man and destroy your life. Let's run away and be merry."

Kyoko's glare pierced his heart as her frozen words seized his soul.

"I can't do this. I am legally married to Ren Tsuruga now. I can't hurt him. He's done nothing to deserve my betrayal. He would be devastated and would never trust anyone again if I ran away to be with my ex. Forgive me but I can't deceive him. No matter how hard I try to deny it, he's my future now. I'm sorry."

"W-What?" Sho felt a strong nudge of hurt passing through his body. His hold on her face loosened as his arms fell limp to his sides.

"Leave him" he whispered as if begging her to change her mind.

"I can't. Marriage is an eternal binding, not some kind of joke Sho. I can't just break it off whenever I want and jump into your arms selfishly. It's not fair." she replied, letting her nails dig into her palm as she balled her fists in an attempt to hold herself back from giving in.

Sho's heart pulsated wildly. He could feel heat intensifying behind his eyes. He gave her an extreme look.

"Y-You're not my Kyoko…" he shook his head in disbelief.

 _Yes, I'm not your Kyoko anymore. I belong to someone else now. Forgive me but I can't go back to being yours again, not until Corn himself tells me to leave._

Kyoko avoided his condemning gaze. It felt like his eyes were trying to dig in and haul her heart out. Sho looked like if he could, he would have slashed her heart and stepped over it repeatedly for hurting him.

Even though his face was expressionless, his eyes convoluted his inner turmoil. His eyes said everything which his face couldn't. He looked like he was fighting off heavy storm that was going through inside him. If eyes could devour anyone, Sho's eyes would have done it.

He moved to grip her wrists and slammed her against the wall, pinning her with his body. His hands clasped hers, eliminating all of her chances to run away.

For a while, Kyoko's heart became disorganized when Sho's blood-shot eyes locked hers. "You hurt me beyond repair Kyoko. You took my heart, cherished it and promised to be mine forever but you didn't remain true to your words. You cut my heart out, played with it as much as you wanted and when you got tired, you walked away, stepping over my heart as if my feelings were insignificant to you. I'm the one who's hurt and suffering not him. How could you? He'd be hurt if you left him behind but what about me? I didn't even think about anyone else but you. Was it all for nothing?" Sho asked. His tone was noxious.

If words could kill then Sho would have made it right away. He could see nothing but the woman who stood there in front of his eyes , the woman who held his heart, betrayed him and moved on to marry someone else. Words weren't enough to express how much he loved her but that loved one who was so dear to him had bruised his heart and soul.

Kyoko shivered in terror as his body held her imprisoned. Sho was looking at her as if he was going to swallow her in single bite.

"Answer me!" he shouted.

Kyoko's eyes yanked up to look at him. He was glaring daggers at her.

Her eyes watered. She was in a fix. She still loved him and wanted nothing else but to forget about the world and be with him. His arms were her home. She was addicted to his embrace but she wasn't allowed to hold onto those fascinating dreams anymore.

 _I didn't want to lose you to death that's why I let you go. Don't try to follow me. Just let go and live your own life. I don't want my mother to hurt you again Sho. You almost died in that accident. I don't want something like that to happen again. I can endure your hatred but I can't endure your absence. I won't be able to carry on with life if you died. Please just let go of me and move on. I am nothing but pain for you. My mother doesn't hurt me. She loves to hurt the one I love to keep her hold on me. Don't try to come near me or else you'll be demolished._

"Sho… you should go. You're wasting your time. What if someone came inside and saw us together? It's not good for your reputation." Kyoko said as she ignored his question, trying to change the subject and force him away from her but he didn't listen. He remained stick to his point.

"I don't care. Let them come and see who you belong to." Sho said sarcastically.

Kyoko's face discolored. "Sho, don't be stubborn. Leave" she insisted but he turned himself deaf to her pathetic reasons.

His grasp on her tightened as he bent his head and focused on her lips. Kyoko winced in pain

"I love you Kyoko and I won't give up on you. You're mine only. I don't care if you're married to him. I won't let him snatch you away from me. You're my Kyoko, not his." Sho said and crashed his lips on hers, kissing her fiercely while sucking on her lower lip as he demanded entrance but Kyoko pressed her lips together and dismissed his demand.

Sho grabbed her hands in one of his strong ones to hold them above her head while his other hand titled her face to deepen the kiss. He nipped her lower lip and earned a gasp from her as he kissed her with all he was worth of.

His aggression took her by surprise and she tried to hit him away but it was useless. Her hands were locked in place. She tried desperately to scratch his hand to loosen his deadly grip on her to no avail. She whined and tried to squirm her way out but he was too muscular for her and she was too frail in his comparison. Her lungs gave out and she began to wheeze for air as tears gathered in her eyes and made their way out.

Soon, need for air to breath forced him to break away from her. Only then he realized that she was in tears. His eyes went wide. He panted furiously."Don't cry Kyoko, I don't know how to wipe your tears. I am sorry. I just can't give you up. I get crazy jealous whenever I think of you being with someone else." Sho released her and hugged her gently, nuzzling her neck.

"I am sorry. I won't do that again. Just don't let go of my hand. I want to be with you. I'm ready to sacrifice anything for you. If you want then I'm ready to sell myself for your happiness. Just don't say you want to abandon me for his sake. I love you."

Kyoko sobbed quietly and returned his hug. "I love you too Sho. I love you more than you can imagine but I can't be with you. I'll keep loving you but it's impossible for us to be together. We have to walk on separate paths from now on. I am already gone from your life. If I could, I would have turned anyone down for your sake but we don't belong together anymore. My soul mate has already been chosen for me. I am someone else's wife and I can't leave him." She said and pulled away to peck his lips tenderly. His lips clung to her soft touch and longed for more.

"I can't give you anything else. You have to move on" Kyoko said caressing his cheek but he refused to obey.

"I won't"

"Please Sho? I beg you. For my sake, you have to forget about me and move on. Marry Mimori for real and be happy."

"No"

"I don't understand it at all. Your heart wants me. Your body reacts to my touch but you're still pushing me away? Why can't we just forget everything and be together? Why is it so difficult for you to accept me? Don't you feel the same way as I do?" Sho asked desperately, holding her shoulders for dear life, still refusing to let go of her.

She shook her head sadly. "I am really sorry Sho. Forgive me. You and I are not possible anymore."

 _I can't risk your life anymore Sho. You're my past. I've moved on and can't look back. You have to do the same. Focus on yourself only. Don't waste your time on me. I am releasing you and letting you go but I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. I really wanted to spend my life with you but fate had something else in store for me. I am sorry my mother tried to hurt you but I won't let her harm you in any way again even if I'll have to pay the price of living without you for the rest of my life. I've had enough of mother's meddling in my life. You'll be in my prayers but I won't be able to share my life with you any longer. I may seem heartless but this is the only way for both of us. No matter where I go and whoever I spend my life with; my heart will always remember you. I hope you'll forgive me one day for being so rude to you._

Sho's heart fell. "I'll wait for you at the airport. I know you'll come. I am going abroad for an entire year to release my new music album. I wish to take you with me." he told her and kissed her deeply before taking back steps from her, with his eyes still fixed on her, he reminded her again.

Sho's voice felt as if it was coming from afar. Kyoko's heart was vibrating in alarm. She was afraid to give in. Her body felt to her like jelly. No matter how much her heart wanted it, she couldn't do it. Her life with Sho had already ended. She'd joined someone else's name and family and she couldn't deny that fact. Sadly, marriage wasn't child's play.

"Kyoko, I'll wait for you. You have to come. I know you will. My plane will take off at 7:00 PM tomorrow."

Kyoko felt a sharp twinge coursing through her heart. She closed her eyes to restrain her stubborn demanding tears. Why was it so difficult for her to give up on her loved one even though she already was married? She couldn't get it and probably never would. Watching your beloved moving away from you could be a life taking sight. Kyoko realized that bitter fact right at that moment.

"I won't come, don't bother waiting for me..."

* * *

Ren was in good mood. He'd been smiling all day for some reason. He felt so relaxed after sharing overweighed burden of his past with his wife. He was having a break from work so he decided to pay her a visit in order to surprise her and to have a cup of coffee with her.

He kept walking inside the high school building as memories of heart-warming conversation with her pulled the strings of his heart.

 _"Does my past bother you Kyoko-san?"_

 _"No, of course not Mr. Tsuruga, why would it? Whatever happened to you could have happened to anyone. It's not your fault that your friend died in accident. If you could, you would have done anything in your power to save him so don't try to explain yourself for something like that. It's not like you did it on purpose. It wasn't your fault that your parent died in a plane crash. You're not responsible for anything so please quit blaming yourself for everything."_

 _"You're too kind you know that Kyoko-san?"_

 _"You're flattering me. I'm not that kind but thanks for appreciation."_

 _"I talked to Boss about that encounter with your mother. He suggested me to reveal my identity before she opened her mouth to spread any false rumors. He also wants us to be engaged and get married properly once again. What do think about it?"_

 _"When?"_

 _"Next week"_

 _"We're already married so it won't hurt to relive the entire occasion"_

Pure smile curled up his lips as more memories joined in to ease the stress that had been holding him enslaved for so long.

 _"Can I ask you something Kyoko-san?"_

 _"Go ahead Mr. Tsuruga"_

 _"Your face, especially your eyes look so familiar. They remind me of someone from my distant past. Tell me have we met somewhere before? I really feel like there's some kind of deep connection between us but I can't figure it out."_

 _"No, Mr. Tsuruga. We've never met before" Kyoko said running her hand through his hair._

 _He looked at her intensely when she stroked his hair._

 _"Is something wrong Mr. Tsuruga?"_

 _"No, nothing's wrong. It feels nice and relaxing when you rub my hair so softly. I feel sleepy"_

 _"Then go to sleep" said Kyoko smiling at him._

 _"Will you stay here by my side?" Ren whispered._

 _"I have to go back and check on Aika-chan, she doesn't sleep until I tell her bedtime story"_

 _"Don't leave. Please stay, just for tonight." He insisted._

 _"I have to go, just let me check on her first then I'll come back" Kyoko told him and tried to leave but he grabbed her hand._

 _"Don't go. Please stay. It's cold and dark."_

 _"Mr. Tsuruga, are you feeling well? Do you have a fever?" She bent to feel his forehead but found that his temperature was normal._

 _"I'm fine. I just want you to stay here. Is it too much to ask? Are you hesitant?" he asked looking into her eyes._

 _"No, it's okay." She was about to sit beside his bed when he requested for something else._

 _"Come here, sleep next to me" he gestured her to lie down next to him._

 _Being as modest as ever, Kyoko blushed from ear to ear._

 _"Please? I won't do anything stupid. I'll keep my hands away, I promise." he said locking his eyes with hers._

 _Kyoko swallowed nervously before sliding under the sheets beside him._

 _Ren turned to face her and moved closer to snuggle into her warmth that he found so refreshing and surprisingly restful._

 _Kyoko turned stiff when she heard him speaking again. "Can I dare to request you something?"_

 _She really had no idea what he was going to say so she just nodded hoping that he wouldn't ask for something impossible._

 _"It's okay if you don't love me, just don't go back to him. I can't stand being a second option. I can't stand betrayal. If you ever felt the desire to leave me then don't hesitate to tell me directly. I promise I won't object and let you go without demanding any explanation" his voice sounded more like a whisper._

 _Kyoko's heart leapt through her chest. "Him? Him who? Did he mean Sho…?" she thought silently.  
_

 _"I won't. I am already married to you. You don't have to worry about that. I won't ever get tired of you. I'll stay as long as you need me." she said smiling a little before he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close to him._

"I can't believe I acted so childish. I don't know what took over me! Now that I think about it, it feels kind of embarrassing for someone like me to talk that way. I never behaved like that when I was with Ayumi. I wonder what's so special about Kyoko-san? She makes me feel so emotional." Ren mentally slapped himself and his cheeks changed into bright color of red.

He stopped in midway to ask for directions when he saw someone who perhaps looked like a lab attendant.

"Excuse me" Ren said and the man stopped to turn and faced him.

"Yes?"

"Can you please tell me the way to staffroom?" Ren asked politely.

"Go straight to the right"

"Thank you" Ren thanked him before he nodded with a smile and left.

Ren's heart sped up as he moved towards the desired location. He took long steps to walk hurriedly. Thankfully, he was in disguise so nobody seemed to recognize him. Wearing a pair of grey T-shirt with black jeans and hiding his face with a cap and sunglasses, he almost looked unrecognizable enough unless someone stopped by to take a closer look at him.

As he approached the staffroom, he could hear voices coming from inside. His heart stopped beating.

His eyebrow twitched as his chest felt a weird tug. He held the doorknob and twisted to open it just a little and peeked inside. The scene before his eyes drained his blood and sucked the air out of his lungs. He turned his eyes away and clenched his hands. It was a sight he never wished to witness again in his life.

His wife was kissing and hugging someone else and he was not just a random guy but her ex-lover.

"She kissed him. She told me she was over him when she was meeting him secretly behind my back. She lied to me" Ren thought as disappointment flashed in his eyes.

 _No, God please not again. Don't be so cruel to me. K-Kyoko-san isn't that kind of person or was I wrong about her?  
_

All of his happiness was smashed instantly.

He heard their voices and wanted to turn off his hearing ability. He wished he were blind and deaf. He didn't want to witness such a thing ever again in his life. His late wife's betrayal was enough for the life time but he wasn't that lucky.

 _"I can't give you anything else. You have to move on" Kyoko said caressing his cheek but Sho refused to obey._

 _"I won't"_

 _Please Sho? I beg you. For my sake, you have to forget about me and move on. Marry Mimori for real and be happy."_

 _"No…"_

 _Leave him and run away with me. I came here to take you away._

 _"I love you."_

 _"Your heart wants me. Your body reacts to my touch but you're still pushing me away? I don't understand it at all"_

 _"What if someone came inside and saw us together? It's not good for your reputation. You should go Sho"_

 _"I don't care. Let them come and see who you belong to"_

Ren fought the urge to kill and punch someone so hard. His ears couldn't hear anything else. His eyes couldn't look at anything else but them. His mind went blank as he let himself in and waited for them to pack up their little scene of emotional parting but both of them didn't seem to notice.

He leaned against the wall in a corner and crossed his arms as he fixed his eyes on them.

 _"I told you everything about me. I trusted you. I opened up my heart to you but you still chose to betray me. Why Kyoko-san? Did I misbehave with you? Were you unhappy? I even gave you time to decide. I gave you choice to return to him but you chose to stab behind my back"_

Ayumi's betrayal stung Ren's brain and he growled in disgust.

He watched the blond guy moving away from his wife and couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Looks like you two are having fun" Ren said darkly, his eyes never leaving them.

Kyoko jumped in the air in shock when she saw another occupant inside the room. Within a single glance at him, she recognized who he was and her soul threatened to flow out of her body.

"M-Mr. Tsuruga…" Kyoko stuttered but Sho didn't seem to be influenced in any way. He walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, turning to smirk at Ren in triumph. Kyoko broke herself free from his arms by using all of her strength.

"Now I know why you wanted to stay in school for longer. You've been working pretty hard lately. Your 'student' must be so lucky to find such cooperative teacher like you, don't you think?" Ren said mockingly while glaring at her.

Kyoko's face turned pale.

"It's not what you think. I…." she pushed pass Sho and ran to him but he lifted his hand to stop her in the middle.

"You two were so absorbed in your lovely intimacy that you didn't even notice me coming inside. How long have you been doing this behind my back?" Ren accused, anger was evident in his eyes.

Kyoko gasped in horror. "N-No, please listen. I-It's not what you think, I…Let me explain…" she gulped nervously as her heart started to jump in panic.

"Listen man-" Sho tried to cut in but Ren threw him a dirty look. "Don't try to interfere! I'm talking to my wife!" his cold voice shut him up.

Ren gave his wife an incredulous look. "I let you deceive me. I'm such an idiot!" he said and left without another word with Kyoko running after him.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview-Reluctant Love-Mistrust or Jealousy?-Chapter-4**

"Mr. Tsuruga, please believe me. I didn't betray you. I can't even think of doing something like that"

Ren laughed.

"Don't bother explaining. I saw everything with my own eyes" His eyes were distant and icy.

"It's not what you think" she explained herself but was ignored unfortunately.

"Are you trying to say my eyes were playing tricks on me or my mind wasn't working straight?"

"N-No, I…."

He shook his head as if laughing at himself for being so stupid.

"I got it now. Why you told me everything about your lover. You did it to win my faith in you."

Kyoko flinched.

"N-No, I swear I…" she couldn't complete her statement before he cut her off in the middle.

"Don't swear it. I don't trust hypocrites." His tone was acute and taunting. It stabbed her heart harder than she'd expected.

"Please…" she begged softly, daring to sit beside him but he averted his eyes and turned away from her.

"I got it now, why you pretended to return my wallet, why you approached me, why you agreed to marry me out of love. It was all pre-planned wasn't it? It was your trickery. You did it to trap me in your innocence so that you could rob my wealth later. Come to think of it, how could you be so different from your mother? You're her blood after all. She gave birth to you. If she's evil, you're not any less..." Ren was struggling not to do something awful to her. He was disappointed and was dying to lash his aggravation out.

He felt Kyoko's hand on his shoulder and his anger stepped up to highest level.

"Don't touch me" he warned.

Terrified by his coldness, Kyoko pulled her hand away at once.

"Didn't you say you were over him? Was it a lie to trick me?" he asked not moving an inch nor turned his face to look at her. He kept his eyes glued on the wall before him.

Kyoko quaked. "No, it's not like that"

 _Corn, please give me a chance to explain. I was trying to shove him away. I've already married you. Why would I go back to him when I have a family with you now? I am married to you. I didn't cheat on you. It wasn't my intention to break your trust. I wasn't seeing him secretly. He came to see me on his own. I didn't even try to contact him after marriage._

"Oh really?" Ren said as he turned his face to meet her eyes.

She became nervous under his strong gaze.

"Y-Yes" she stammered out.

"Can you prove it to me?" he asked seriously.

He met with silence.

"Can you prove that you're over him and he means nothing to you anymore, that whatever I saw and listened wasn't what I thought it was?" he asked again.

Tears jabbed her eyes as she spoke reluctantly, being extremely afraid of his upcoming response.

"What do I have to do to win back your trust?" she asked reluctantly.

"Sleep with me" he said and Kyoko went quiet.

* * *

 **That's it. Please have fun reading. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you all for your endless support and encouragements. You guys are so kind :333 I am already half way done with the next chapter so I hope to update within a day or two so please stay tuned. Until next time! Take Care**

 **See you all soon.**


	5. Mistrust or Jealousy?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own skip beat or any of its characters. It's an AU story.

 **Rating: **M for this chapter. Mature content.

 **A/N:** Thank you for your sweet comments and encouragements. It means a lot to me. Please stay with me till the end. I am really happy to know that you're enjoying this story.

* * *

 **Reluctant Love**

 **Chapter-4-Mistrust or Jealousy?**

* * *

 _~Flashback ~_

 _Kyoko ran as fast as her legs could allow and caught up to him before he could vanish. "Mr. Tsuruga, wait! It's not what it looked like!" out of breath, she grabbed his arm to stop him but he smacked it away and snapped at her. "Stay away from me. I wish to be alone."_

 _She felt as if someone had punched her heart out. She halted to catch her abnormal breathing before speaking. "Please listen to me…." she mumbled out but he ignored her._

 _"I have listened more than I had to. Don't try to follow me. I hate traitors!" He barked before moving his legs and left her standing there in shock._

 _~End of Flashback~_

 _"The number you're trying to call is currently not answering. Please try later."_ Kyoko's heart drowned as her call was rejected once again. It'd been two days already and he hadn't come home yet. She tried calling him but he didn't pick up. Although it was normal for him to stay out for days because he was born workaholic but this situation was different and Kyoko was profoundly concerned.

 _"I hope he isn't mad at me"_ she thought sadly then sighed. " _Who am I kidding with? Of course he's mad and it's my fault! I just hope he's alright."_ she breathed out silent curses, slapping her forehead in irritation. She could feel dull pain in her heart. " _I disappointed him."_

Kyoko sighed putting her phone aside. She rolled over to her left side and hugged Aika who was sleeping without any care in the world and let the darkness consume herself.

* * *

"Ren…?" Lory called out but got no response.

"Ren, wake up" he said as he shook his shoulder gently. Ren stirred shifting in his sleep.

"Ren!" Lory shook harder this time and gained a loud growl from him. "Go away will you?" Ren said rolling over to face the cause of his disturbance before turning his head away.

"Are you an idiot? Kyoko-chan's been waiting for you at home. She called me to know if you're okay. She's been worried sick and here you are sleeping in your office like you don't even care what's happening around you! Are you nuts or something? Do you love to make people worried about you?" Lory scolded as he turned him around.

Ren's stomach twisted as he heard Kyoko's name. Memories of his fight with Kyoko flashed through his mind and his anger rose once again.

Lory frowned when noticed his change of expression. He looked pissed off.

"Is everything okay between you two? Did something happen?" Lory asked narrowing his eyes.

"No, everything is fine" Ren lied, combing a hand through his hair.

Lory raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

"Then why didn't you go home?" he asked softly. He couldn't read Ren's mind. His face was sturdy so Lory couldn't figure out what exactly was going on with his boy but he knew something was wrong for sure.

Ren sighed before pulling the sheets off of him and sat up. "It's nothing really." He lied again but Lory wasn't up for it. He refused to believe him.

"You know you can always talk to me if there's a problem" Lory encouraged, patting his shoulder.

"I want you to cancel our wedding ceremony for now" Ren muttered out softly.

Lory looked up at him in shock and concern. "Why?" he asked skeptically.

Ren groaned in annoyance. "I am not ready to reveal my identity yet. I need some more time" he snorted out, purely displeased for being inquired repeatedly.

"But you agreed to it before without any problem. What's the matter now?" Lory prodded him.

Ren grumped. "Look Boss, stop questioning me. I know what I'm doing. I said I want you to postpone the wedding ceremony so just do it. I want some more time to think it over."

"No I won't! Not until you tell me what happened and besides, it can't be cancelled as the invitation cards have already been distributed." Lory replied amazed by his weird demeanor.

Ren sighed in defeat.

He hesitated before speaking. "I don't know. We fought two days ago and I don't want to see her just yet. My mood isn't that appealing to face her. I am afraid to hurt her..." he whispered taking Lory by surprise.

"Why what happened? If you fought then you can always apologize to her you know?" Lory tried to alleviate his tension even though he didn't know the reason behind his discomfort.

Ren grunted, rubbing his chin awkwardly. "But I don't trust her. She betrayed me. She kissed her ex and hugged him. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Come again?" Lory asked blinking confusingly.

"Kyoko-san did what Ayumi did to me. Don't you remember how Ayumi brought her boyfriend to my bedroom when I was away? Same happened to me again. Kyoko-san cheated on me. Why does it happen to me only? Am I really that easy to be fooled Boss? I hate cheating women! I told you I didn't want to get married but you kept insisting! Do you guys really love torturing me that much? First, dad forced me into an arranged marriage with Ayumi then you took his place and forced me to marry Kyoko-san. Can't you guys leave me alone for a second? I am old enough to decide for myself" Ren scorned, unable to keep his temper in check.

Lory gawped at him.

 _What's with him? Why is he behaving so out of control. Cheating? Kyoko-chan? No way! I'll never believe it._

"Don't lose yourself to anger Ren or else I won't be able to save you twice. I know I forced you to marry Kyoko-chan but she isn't that type of woman. She is entirely different and better as compared to Ayumi. Don't misjudge her. Talk things out first before doing anything reckless." Lory suggested.

Ren didn't reply.

Lory sighed in frustration. "Go home Ren. Don't run away from your problems. Solve them." Lory squeezed his shoulder affectionately before getting up and exiting the room.

"Tsk!" Ren cursed mentally, picked up the pillow and threw it down on the floor. He was still puzzled and indecisive to go back home.

Getting off of bed, he threw his shirt on, grabbed his things and walked out.

* * *

When Ren got home, Kyoko was already waiting for him in his room. He flamed in resentment when he saw her face. Memories of her and Sho kissing and hugging stabbed his mind again and he yelled.

"What are you doing in my room? Get out of my sight!"

Kyoko bolted up from bed, frightened to the depth of her heart.

"Y-You're home. W-Where have you been?" she asked feeling chilled.

"None of your business. Get lost! Go back to your lover. Don't you dare try to show me your face or else I'll kill you." He sneered, pinning her with his red fuming eyes and walked passed her before throwing himself to bed.

Kyoko's heart floated out of her chest.

 _He got it all wrong. He's super mad at me. What should I do?_

"M-Mr. Tsuruga. I didn't do anything. At least listen to what I have to say. Please?" she begged but he ignored her.

"You're still here? Go away. I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now." He dismissed her but she didn't move and walked forward, near to his bed.

 _"_ Mr. Tsuruga, please believe me. I didn't betray you. I can't even think of doing something like that"

Ren laughed, rolling on his back to face her.

"Don't bother explaining. I saw everything with my own eyes" His eyes were distant and icy.

"It's not what you think" she explained herself but was ignored again unfortunately.

"Are you trying to say my eyes were playing tricks on me or my mind wasn't working straight?"

"N-No, I…. _"_

He shook his head as if laughing at himself for being so stupid.

"I got it now. Why you told me everything about your lover. You did it to win my faith in you. You won Aika's heart to make me believe in your spurious decency" Feeling revolted, he sat on the edge of the bed and fidgeted his fingers in annoyance.

Kyoko flinched.

"N-No, I swear I…" she couldn't complete her statement before he cut her off in the middle.

"Don't swear it. I don't trust hypocrites. I won't forgive you because you swindled your way into my life. I thought you were authentic when you were nothing more than a rotten egg." His tone was acute and taunting. It stabbed her heart harder than she'd expected.

She sniveled.

"Please…" she begged softly, daring to sit beside him but he averted his eyes and turned away from her.

"I got it now, why you pretended to return my wallet, why you approached me, why you agreed to marry me out of love. It was all pre-planned wasn't it? It was your trickery. You did it to trap me in your innocence so that you could rob my wealth later. Come to think of it, how could you be so different from your mother? You're her blood after all. She gave birth to you. If she's evil, you're not any less..." Ren was struggling not to do something awful to her. He was disappointed and was dying to lash his aggravation out.

He felt Kyoko's hand on his shoulder and his anger stepped up to highest level.

"Don't touch me" he warned.

Terrified by his coldness, Kyoko pulled her hand away at once.

"Didn't you say you were over him? Was it a lie to trick me?" he asked not moving an inch nor turned his face to look at her. He kept his eyes glued on the wall before him.

Kyoko quaked. "No, it's not like that"

"Are you trying to do that to piss me off? What is your problem?!" he shouted, unable to hold back his anger.

Kyoko's heart doomed when he raised his voice but she tried her best to keep herself in control. He was angry right now so she knew he wouldn't listen to her easily. She didn't want to let the string being pulled from both sides and break it off. If he was angry, it didn't mean she had to lose herself too. Someone had to be wise enough to keep quiet in order to maintain harmony.

"Why are you so angry? Can't you just give me a chance to explain myself?" she murmured softly with throbbing heart.

"You wish!" Ren hissed at her. "Because I don't want to hear your excuses on why that happened. You're a liar."

Now Kyoko was furious. She was tired of his obnoxious attitude.

"You don't know anything about me Mr. Tsuruga so please don't try to assume things about my personality."

"That's the reason I never wanted to get married again. Marriage brings nothing but troubles. I wished to be single for the rest of my life but my catastrophic fate loves to mess with me" he sighed before speaking out tiredly. "I can't believe I am married to you. It makes me regret my life."

 _"I can't believe I am married to you. It makes me regret my life. It makes me regret my life. It makes me regret my life. It makes me regret my life…."_ Those words repeated in her mind and her stomach dropped and twisted every time those words were replayed in the back of her mind.

Before she knew it, tears streamed out of her eyes but she swiftly wiped them away.

"It really isn't what you think…." She said restlessly. No matter what she tried to say, it only seemed to fan his anger further and brought it to next level. She was forced to think if he'd ever talk to her again nicely.

 _Corn, please give me a chance to explain. I was trying to shove him away. I've already married you. Why would I go back to him when I have a family with you now? I didn't cheat on you. It wasn't my intention to break your trust. I wasn't seeing him secretly. He came to see me on his own. I didn't even try to contact him after marriage. I didn't even go to see him off at the airport. He's gone from my life. I am married to you. Don't push me away without listening to my side of story._

"Oh really?" Ren said as he turned his face to meet her eyes.

She became nervous under his strong gaze.

"Y-Yes" she stammered out.

"Can you prove it to me?" he asked seriously.

He met with silence.

"Can you prove that you're over him and he means nothing to you anymore, that whatever I saw and listened wasn't what I thought it was?" he asked again.

Tears jabbed her eyes as she spoke reluctantly, being extremely afraid of his upcoming response.

"What do I have to do to win back your trust?" she asked reluctantly.

"Sleep with me" he said and Kyoko went quiet _._ He waited for her patiently

"Well, hurry up and decide. I am waiting for your answer. Do you want to earn my forgiveness or not?" she heard him saying before his eyes scanned her from up to down.

 _She's going to say no. I knew it. She loves him. It was all an act, being so considerate of me._

Kyoko closed her eyes before approving with an "okay"

Ren gaped at her ineptly before starting. "There will be no turning point. I hope you know what it means to sleep with someone…"

Kyoko bit her lip before nodding. She was intensely embarrassed under the questioning looks he was throwing at her.

"Sleeping with a guy isn't funny Kyoko-san, especially with a guy who's your legal husband. It's not just cuddling together you know what I mean. Are you sure you won't regret it later in the morning?" Ren asked, rather trying to reassure himself.

Kyoko turned red in embarrassment. Was he trying to humiliate her purposely?

"I wasn't aware that I was being funny." She answered and he smirked. Her heart started beating faster than before.

"Very well then" he said before his head moved ahead to claim her lips. She gasped at the sudden contact and he took it as an invitation to invade her mouth and let himself explore its depth before pushing her down on bed.

"Mhhhmmm" Kyoko let out a jumbled sound when he kissed her deeply but gently. His lips swallowed her moans as his muscular body pressed against her soft one. He took his time to enjoy the feeling of her soft lips. An incoherent growl crept its way out of his throat when her slender fingers crawled up to caress his smooth hair.

 _"So soft…. Her lips are so soft and tempting. She tastes so good. I want to touch her more. I've never felt this way for any woman. What's wrong with me? Why does she influence me so much? My control is swinging away."_ All of his offense flew away and jumped out the window when he kissed her. He even forgot why he was angry at her in the first place.

He pulled away for air and looked at her with smoldering eyes while unbuttoning his shirt. He took off his shirt and tossed it away somewhere across the room. He heard Kyoko's weak voice and stopped to look at her flushed face. "Are you trying to scare me?" she asked blushing, with her chest heaving madly.

 _This isn't my best friend Corn. He is someone else. His eyes look different. I don't know what he's thinking but if that's what I have to do to prove myself and win his trust back then I'll let him have me. He's angry at me for a reason. I am the one who lost his trust. I should have been more careful._

"Scare you? I am not trying to scare you. I am making love to my wife. Didn't you allow it to me just a moment ago?" he tilted his head to one side and smiled at her wickedly.

Kyoko shivered to the core.

He leaned closer to her ear and whispered. "I don't share my wife with anyone. I am overprotective of my relationship. I'll kill the next guy who touches you" Ren proclaimed and was himself surprised to hear the words that left his mouth.

Kyoko trembled at the thought of his words, completely shocked and surprised to hear him saying something impossible.

He started kissing her ear, his tongue flickered the sensitive spot under her ear which sent electrifying waves coursing through her entire body. She jolted underneath him when his lips moved downwards to claim the soft flesh of her neck. He dived in and his teeth grazed her tender skin as he kept sucking on it repeatedly until he was sure to leave a mark behind.

Kyoko used all of her strength not to cry out loud. She pressed her lips tightly to hold herself back from making any sound but she failed. Soft gasps left her mouth, setting his desire for her on fire.

"Relax" he whispered, letting his hot breath tease her sensitive skin. "Let it go. Don't hold back. Let me hear your heart-warming voice"

He unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off of her, throwing it away and let his hands roam all over her body. She squeaked when she realized she was half naked beneath him. "W-What are you-" she spoke but he didn't let her finish and closed her parted lips with his mouth, kissing her gently yet passionately. "I am claiming what's mine. Don't panic. I won't hurt you dear wife." He said against her lips as he started kissing her more eagerly, with intense desire pouring out of his eyes.

 _This is pure bliss. She's wondrous. Her body is so soft and pleasant to my eyes. I want her. I need her. Hell I can't wait any longer. I am losing it!_

As he kissed her, Kyoko gasped out due to lack of air and turned her head away, trying to avoid his attacking lips but he skillfully captured them again and deepened the kiss. He growled when she kissed him back. He kissed her all the way down to her flat stomach, leaving trails of butterfly kisses behind. Her hands gripped the bedsheets as she closed her eyes mumbling his name. "R-Ren, d-don't…."

Hearing his name coming out from her made him groan out loud and his lips went from her face to her stomach before he pulled away to look at her in the eyes.

"Say my name again." he demanded, with a smile. "Mr. Tsuruga..."

Her eyes were glassy and dewy but she wasn't crying and it put him at ease to know that he didn't hurt her.

"No, not that. Say my name..." he emphasized.

"..."

"Please... Kyoko-san? I want to hear it again"

"..." He met with silence yet again.

"Are you hurt?" Was I too rough? I am sorry if I did..." he apologized with racing heart, his eyes fixed on her frame.

"N-No, you didn't..." she responded with a small whimper. His gaze was disturbing her.

Ren's eyes travelled from top to bottom and fixed on her bosom. He licked his lips.

 _Her body fits into my arms perfectly. It feels like she's for me only. She's got the perfect size. She's irresistible. I can't stop myself...I just want to claim her.  
_

Sensing his predatory glance on her chest, she tried to cover herself but he grabbed her arms and pulled her hands away. "Don't try to cover yourself. You're beautiful." said Ren kissing her on the lips gently as he admired her body.

"Have you done it before with anyone else?" he questioned her, turning her beet red as her cheeks turned hot in embarrassment. "N-No"

 _I wish you were telling the truth Kyoko-san….I have a feeling you've done it with Fuwa. You don't have to hide it. Lying is what makes me more furious.  
_

She tensed as his eyes turned dark, losing their usual glow.

 _"_ _Doesn't he believe me? Why would I lie to him about something like that? I guess I really have lost his faith in me."_ She thought horrified when she saw look of disbelief in his eyes.

Kyoko stared at him when he removed his and hers remaining clothes and rolled on top of her again,

"Are you sure you have no objection? You can stop me if you want…" he asked before capturing her lips and left her breathless.

She nodded giving him permission to move on. His hand moved to caress her smooth creamy body. She shuddered under his touch making him excited. "Shhh, it's going to be alright Kyoko-san"

 _You're an ultimate beauty Kyoko-san. My body is reacting on its own. You're something else. I've never felt this intimate with anyone else. I can feel the warmth that is surrounding me. No wonder he can't get over you but I am sorry I can't let my wife hangout with someone else in my absence. If you have physical desires, I'll fulfill them. One time betrayal's more than enough for me to endure. I don't have enough strength left in me to bear the burden of cheating wife all over again._

Gently preparing her to accept him, he slowly penetrated her barrier, pulling the sheets over to cover themselves.

Kyoko bit her lips harder and tried her level best not to scream as he pushed inside but sharp pain prickled her lower area and she squirmed under his caging body as tears slid down her face.

Ren kissed her tears and beads of sweat away, muttering his apology for hurting her before moving. He kissed her harder and muffled her moans as he felt himself spinning out of control. He didn't bother to hold back and let his growing desire control him as he embraced her and made love to her all night, claiming her as his, letting go of rage as something inside him calmed down as if he was sure that no one would be able to take her away from him afterwards. Kyoko's hands roamed over and dug into his back as he marked her as his forever. Even though he was angry at her before, he made sure not to hurt her or let the spreading anger get the best of him. He kept himself in check and remained pleasantly gentle.

After he was done and came back to his senses, he collapsed on top of her and panted harshly "Kyoko-san..." he whispered.

He gathered her in his arms and kissed her crown before he dozed off to sleep snuggling into her warm embrace, Kyoko followed him soon and let the sleep take over her as she cuddled into his chest.

* * *

The next morning, Ren came out of bathroom with towel wrapped around his waist and whispered. "Kyoko-san?" he called out but was greeted with silence.

He looked around to find his bedroom empty. His wife wasn't sleeping there anymore. His eyes saw spot of blood where he'd taken her. It didn't take him long to catch the meaning.

"Damn it! She…. She was telling the truth! She was virgin which means she didn't cheat on me with him!" Ren growled punching the wall. His hand started to bleed but he didn't care. "Oh God!"

He quickly dressed up and walked out of his bedroom to look around for her but his apartment was empty. He panicked but his heartbeat settled down when he found a note on dining table with freshly cooked breakfast.

He picked it up and unfolded it to start reading.

 _Mr. Tsuruga,_

 _Since Midterm exams are coming up, I'll be late from school. I'll drop Aika to school just make sure to pick her up at 1:00 PM. I've prepared breakfast for you. Please eat it. You need energy to make it through your hectic work day._

 _P.S: I don't cheat on people. It's not in my nature but if you still don't believe me then it's up to you. I don't want to force you to put up with me nor I'll try to explain myself again if you don't want to listen._

 _P.S.S: I plan to visit Kyoto but I'll be back before dusk. If you need anything then give me a call or text me._

 _-Kyoko_

Ren crumbled the note in his hands and threw it away, cursing himself. "DAMN IT!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview: Reluctant Love-Wedding Ceremony- Chapter-5**

Ren got off the stage and looked at Kyoko from the corner of his eyes. They took a seat beside each other as Lory made his final speech while Kyoko fidgeted with her wedding dress.

Ren couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked stunning. Her beauty could even make angels green in envy.

"Kyoko-san…" he said breaking the silence between them.

She didn't answer.

"Hmmm, Kyoko-san…" he started again, even though he was lost for words and didn't know what to say to her. "about the other day, I wanted to say that I….hmmm..." he started but she cut him off.

"Look Mr. Tsuruga, I want to tell you that I am sorry for disappointing you. I really didn't mean it. It was all an accident that you saw me with Sho in that awkward condition. It was all a misunderstanding. Nothing happened between us but I got it. I am not your type of girl. It's okay. I got it if you don't want to trust me. I won't force you to do it. I just don't want to fight anymore. I apologize for causing you trouble. It won't happen again." She said looking into his eyes. There was sadness in her eyes. Ren wanted to move his hand and wipe off the tears that were about to fall out of her eyes.

 _I become yours. I gave you my body. I left my past behind. I let go the one I loved. I let go my feelings for him so that I could live up to your expectations and make you happy without any limitations but you still avoid me. I don't know what else to do to make you believe in me Corn. I don't know what else to do to earn your forgiveness. I don't know what else I should do to prove my loyalty and friendship to that fairy price I once used to know._

"Kyoko-san, I…."

"Please Mr. Tsuruga, can you leave it like that? I don't want to talk about it anymore. I am already enough stressed out so I really need my focus."

Ren's lips parted to say something but her teary eyes stopped him. He lowered his eyes, feeling stab of pan plaguing deeper inside his heart.

 _"_ _What's happening to me? Why am I feeling as if my world has ended? Why do I want to wipe her tears? Why do I want to protect her? Why am I feeling sad? Why am I angry at myself? A-Am I in love with her?"_ Realization hit him harder and his eyes went wider.

* * *

 **That's it. Please read and review. Thank you all for your quick response. I didn't know you guys were still following this story. I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter. See you all soon. Take Care and Thank you so much for reading this story.**


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